Page 58 of All Your Hate
“Oh, I get it now.”
“Get what?” He frowns.
“That you really are stupid. To show someone off you need to take them places, dumbass.”
“What do you think we’re doing?”
A controlled trip to play dress up with his new toy is entirely different to a carefree night of getting drunk in a crowd of people and he knows that.
Groaning loudly in frustration I grab the pile of clothes, taking them to the cash register. I don’t look at any of the price tags or see the total after the cashiers rung it all up. I do however notice the hefty tip Bones leaves her. One that seems an awful lot like hush money.
Back in the car, I don’t know what to do with myself. I fidget in my seat and flip through music, but the noise irritates me more and I turn it off.
“What’s wrong?” Bones asks and I stare at him with my mouth wide open.
Is he that self-centered that he can’t tell a single thing that he’s done is bad?
“I’m not spelling it out for you. Just take me back to my prison. I’m done with the outside.”
My outing has left me feeling nothing but bitter and I’m starting to think that being his kept little plaything is better than living with false hope for my freedom.
12
WYNTER
“Ithought we were going back to your place?” Rather than leaving the city the way we came, Bones drives us in the opposite direction. We reach a rundown area. Somewhere I’m more than familiar with. I’ve had to walk these streets almost nightly to get to and from work.
Maybe this is when he finally gets rid of me? Will he sell me or kill me?
Either way, nothing good can come of us being here.
As we pull around a corner I see the neon glow from Onyx.
Keep driving. Keep driving.
Bones brings the car to a stop outside.
Fuck.
Trying to hide the nerves in my voice, I ask, “Why are we here?”
“I need to drop something off. I was hoping to leave you in the car for a minute, but I don’t think that’s a good idea anymore.” The way he looks at me makes me feel like a naughty child being told off. I wish he’d make his mind up on what he wantsfrom me. One minute he likes me acting out, the next he wants obedience. It’s exhausting.
Reaching into the glove compartment Bones gets the gun back out and a shiver runs down my spine. Bydo somethingdoes he meankill someone?
It’s not the gun or that thought that scares me the most though, it’s the black ski masks beneath the weapon that I didn’t notice before.
“Why do you have so many of those?” My voice trembles as dark memories start clawing their way back to the surface.
“Things usually end up getting bloody so it’s easier to have spares.”
No matter how hard I try to stop the memories from replaying in my head they’re all I can see. Those dark masks making the men look demonic in my drugged state. The fear, so cold and crippling that would freeze me in place. I’m right back in the basement.
Hoping that speaking the words aloud will repel the monsters, I tell Bones another truth. “That’s what the men wore.”
Feeling his hand on my knee helps bring me back to the present. The world’s a blur when I look around.
“They’re not here now. It’s just you and me. Do you remember it all?”